Cat Box for the Strays

Materials: 34-gallon Samla with lid, water heater insulation, Heavy-duty double sided sticky tape, old blankets or towels

Description: We have a stray cat family in our neighborhood that we've been feeding. They've been camped out in the dense shrubbery, but as it's getting cold and wet, we wanted someplace warm and snug and out of the wind and rain for them.

I repurposed an Ikea Samla storage box. Using a Dremel tool with plastic cutter, I made a cat-sized hole in the end. We then filed the rough edges down with a rasp.

Using double-sided sticky tape (it's a thick foam tape with great adhesion), I cut pieces of the water blanket insulation.

Depending on your weather, you can use heavier insulation, but you might have to make a double walled cat house using two Samlas if the insulation isn't self-contained. There are instructions on the internet if you need more help.

In our case, we have fairly mild weather, so I used a roll of thin insulation. It's sort of like aluminum colored bubble wrap. I cut it to fit, lining sides, ends, and bottom, then affixed it using that sturdy tape. I then cut sheets to go on the inside top of the box and fixed those with tape.

I then added a piece of memory foam that used to be a bed topper. The cats seem to love sitting on this stuff. On top of this I placed some scrap fleece fabric. Blankets, towels, anything washable would work. After I placed the lid on top, I added a sisal door mat, Hessum, I think. It gives them a place to curl up and hang out when the sun is out.

We have 100% occupancy, a mama cat and three kittens use it every night. (And yes, we are making sure all of them are spayed before they add any more kittens to the mix!) Total cost was under $30. and our strays now have a safe, snug place to stay.

~ Merry, California

LACK kids' table for LEGO, DUPLO or just crayons

Materials: LACK table, SAMLA boxes

Description: The LACK table is a bit too short to cover two of the 5 l SAMLA boxes, but I didn't expect it to be compatible. After all, it's not LEGO. ;-)

You'll need (Picture 1) one LACK table (55x55 cm), 4 racks of about 50 cm length for 4 5 l SAMLA boxes or two racks for 2 11 l boxes, the SAMLA boxes, 8 to 12 small screws, a drill and a pencil.

Cost 4,99 � for the LACK table, 4 x 0,79 � for the SAMLA boxes, 5,60 � for the racks and about 0,50 for the screws (I didn't have to buy them, it's only an estimate).

There were two racks with a cross section like this |_| of 110 cm length, which I cut in half, so each half is about 50,5 cm. I could probably have gotten a longer one and cut it in quarters, but then I had to transport it on my bike, which is much easier with 1 m long racks.

Then I drilled three holes into each rack, with a slightly larger diameter than the head of the screws.

I put some wood in between to make the drilling easier. I used wood drills, because they work well with plastic and they have that nice pointy top.

Through those holes, I drilled some smaller ones for the screws.

Then I took the LACK table top, marked the half and put the first rack with the opening facing away from the middle right next to the line. I fixed it with two screws, but you can use three as well. Then I put the second rack "back on back"� to the first and fixed it as well. After that, You can use a SAMLA box as a guide. But take it off before you start the screwing. :D

After fixing the racks, I added the legs to the table.

You could stop there and use the boxes for crayons or any other toy.

I haven't got a DUPLO baseplate yet, so I used a LEGO size one as a placeholder (Picture 6). As DUPLO is exactly double the size of LEGO (hence the name, in case you didn't know), it worked anyway. As soon as I have a DUPLO baseplate, I will fix it with double-sided sticky tape. Just in case, he likes those toys and wants to switch to LEGO later.

His 1st birthday is in September, but I'm not sure I can wait that long to give it to him. Maybe, he'll just get some new DUPLO parts instead. He doesn't know what "birthday" is, anyway.

~ Anne, Berlin, Germany

Grow with these ideas

Materials: transparent Samla box 53x37x12, peat rich in organic matter, vegetable seedlings

Description: Do you want to grow your own fresh salad in your balcony? It's much more simple than you thought. You just need ground and seedlings!

Fill the samla box with soil, plant the seedlings and water well! In a month your lettuce and fresh onions are ready to eat! Have fun and bon appetite!
See more of the Samla planter.

~ Emilia Rodopoulou, Thessaloniki, Greece

Applaro Garden Planter Box

Materials: Ikea Applaro Storage Bench, Staple gun, Black 3.5mil or higher plastic

Description: Put the Applaro storage bench together.

You can also use the larger one (the one with wheels if you need more space).

Lay in the black plastic sheeting (Got in the paint section of home depot, essentially a drop cloth). Staple down to insides of storage bench. Poke drainage holes on the bottom.

Add dirt and plants and you're finished. I'm currently using the lids as floor mats in the house.

If you are worried about the weather beating this up, you can add varnish to the wood which Ikea I think sells as well.

~ Robert Evans, San Francisco, CA

Greenhouse � la Elk

Materials: SAMLA boxes and lids, drill, hole saw

Description: Basis of this idea was the simple fact, that I needed a bigger mini-greenhouse (windowsill greenhouse) for my growing chili plants, as the former nursery station became too small. But I didn't find any to buy, so I hacked one (OK, I hacked two as you can see).

For one greenhouse I bought
- 1 SAMLA box, 11 liters, black
- 1 SAMLA box, 22 liters, white
- 2 matching lids (which are identical in size)

Afterwards, I took my drill, attached the hole saw and drilled 12 holes into each lid. The holes are supposed to hold 0,2 liter plastic cups, which the chili plants live in until approximately the middle of May.

Now drill a couple of holes into the big white box for ventilation and that's it.

Now take the small box, put the matching lid with the holes on top. Then take the second lid and put it on the first one upside down. Then hang the cups into the holes. The big white box now serves as the cover of the greenhouse (hence the ventilation holes).

While building this, I came across the fact that, while all that SAMLA stuff is made of pretty flexible plastics, it still may break if you are not careful enough. I recommend to predrill the centers of the holes with a drill for wood. I also recommend drilling the corner holes last. And don't even think about trying to drill two lids at once to save time. Even too much drilling speed ain't good. You know... friction... heat... plastic melts and all that. Take your time and be careful.

Before finishing the greenhouse, I planned to glue the two lids together, but realised, that the lids nearly don't slip from each other at all when the holes are occupied. Two filled cups put into the holes in opposing corners are already stable enough.

Have fun. My chili planties are doing fine in their new "elkish" home.

See more of the IKEA indoor greenhouse.

~ Christian, Braunschweig, Germany

Biltong box

Materials: Samla and Bygel

Description: Building a Biltong box with parts from Ikea is quite straight forward.

I had to buy Samla Box 57x39 with cover, some Bygel (10 items pack, just buy 4 or 5 packs). And 3,6m of knotted-link chain.

A fan from an old PC, an old power supply, some fly screen, some strip of wood (20x40mm), a broomstick, a handful of screws.

The Bygel have been sharpened on one side.

The wood has been cut to fit into the box and pre-drill: a center hole for the broomstick and 6 holes with 5 cm distance for the chain. The broomstick is cut to the fitting length and pre-drilled. Then everything is build together.

The hole for the fan has been drilled with a 6mm drill and finished with a cheap 80mm core drill. If you don't have a core drill just drill a lot of holes on the outline of the 80mm hole and cut through the remaining parts. (Don't try to cut the hole free hand...)

Attach the fly screen between box and fan. No glue needed.

The cover does not close the box beause it rests on the wood strips. This is good because it creates an outlet for the air (pressed in by the fan). If you use smaller wood strips you might need to add holes into the cover. I would suggest not to big holes otherwise they have to be secured with fly screen. And as far as I see gluing would not work with the box and cover material.

~ Holger Lembke